Skeleton Key
and The Phantom are standing across from each other. They are in a dungeon of a castle on the planet. Lotin closes a cell door in front of The Phantom, locking him inside of it. He then closes a thick metal door over the cell bars. The Phantom's voice is still loud enough to be heard. Phantom: What are you doing with me? Lotin: I'm putting you on ice... places the Ice Key into a slot next to the door. The Phantom stops moving inside the cell. Lotin: And after the flames from Rigon's battle have been put out, a new flame will rise... And if all else fails... No one will ever find him... camera cuts to present day Aldabarbaria. Several workers are at computers, conducting business as usual. #1: Phantress, when did you say you wanted us to deliver your message? offscreen: Immediately... Make sure that it's intimidating... #2: And you're sure you want him back? Phantress: My husband may be a fool for underestimating the powers of the Ice Key, but he is still The Phantom, and my husband... Deliver the message, and do not quest me again... #2: Yes, your honor... camera cuts to the Plumbers' Academy. Ivada is standing in the Magisters' office, along with Relgo, Jopius, and Lorak. Relgo: So Sci and Hornbok will return tomorrow night, and then we can discuss everything that's happened... Ivada: Yes, we can figure out what to do with Reg, Paul, and Ray, and even check out if what Will and Roy said was true... Lorak: Hornbok did say that he was going to research both Mantox and Medullus... Ivada: Look, the best we can hope for is that nothing happens until-- Computer: Hostile frequency detected... Network shutdown until safe conditions are present... Ivada: Looks like I spoke too soon... a holographic screen appears in front of the Magisters. It is all static, and there is a strange and menacing sounding voice coming from it. Voice: Attention Plumbers... We are aware that Lotin of the Elite is housed at one of your prisons... We ask that you bring him to us so that he can help us with our true goal: finding and freeing The Phantom... If you deny our request... We will have no choice but to destroy the Academy... and the Earth... transmission cuts out and the screen disappears. Relgo: Aldabarbarians, no doubt... Lorak: And they mentioned Lotin... Ivada: Huh, guess I did speak too soon... Song camera cuts to the Academy the next night. Hornbok, Sci, Kruto, Farrin Nick, Toon, and Bink have joined the three Magisters and assistant Magister in the Magisters' office. Hornbok: Mentioning the Phantom and Lotin in the same declaration can never be a good thing... Sci: They said they were going to destroy the Earth... The Aldabarbarians do have the power to do so... Bink: I'd say that Phantress ordered that message to be sent... Nick: Agreed... I think we need to focus on what to do... Do we have a time restraint? Hornbok: The sooner the better... Toon: Where is Lotin, anyway? Ivada: He's at the Northern Plumber Prison... Where he belongs... camera cuts to Lotin, cloaked to try and hide his identity, sitting at the cafeteria in the prison. No one else is sitting around him. The camera cuts over to some other prisoners looking at Lotin. They are talking about him. #1: I heard that he's in here for 10 life sentences... #2: Ha! He's immortal don't you know! I heard 10,000 years... By then they say he'll be too old to do anything evil... #3: He must not be a threat to escape... If not they'd be keeping a closer eye on him... #1: He's in solitary confinement for 20 hours out of the day... Of course that's the maximum... #2: I bet he wishes it was more with all of us around... stands up and walks over to the group of four prisoners. #4: RUN! prisoners scatter, but Lotin appears to be too tired to chase them. He simply grimaces at them and then turns and sees guard walking towards him. Lotin: What did I do? Guard: Nothing, you have a call... Lotin: From who? Guard: Hornbok... grins as the camera cuts to Hornbok at the Academy. He is waiting for the guard to bring Lotin to the other end of the line. Lotin: Ah, Hornbok my old friend... Rethinking my sentence? camera goes split and shows Lotin on one side and Hornbok on the other. Hornbok: You wish... Lotin: Actually I like it here... It's rather quiet... It gives me time to think... And besides, you couldn't change my sentence if you wanted to... Hornbok: I need a favor from you... Lotin: Oh, a favor you say? Lay it on me... Hornbok: The Phantom, where is he... grin drops instantly of his face. A worried look appears on his face. Lotin: Oh, well, how's Paper doing? Hornbok: How'd you-- Lotin: You didn't think you could hide it from me, did you? Hornbok: Answer my question... Lotin: I'm not telling you... Hornbok: Okay... The alternative is to refer you to who's really asking this question... gulps hard and decides to go with it. Lotin: Phantress? Hornbok: She'll kill you... Lotin: It's a conflict of interest... You have to protect me since I'm your prisoner... leans away from his Plumbers' badge to talk to the others. Hornbok: He's correct... Ivada: Phantress can't kill Lotin, though... He's immortal... Hornbok: Ah, always forget that don't I? brings the badge back up to his mouth. Hornbok: Your immortal, Lotin... Lotin: I don't know why you would point that out... You're the one who brought that up in your argument... Hornbok: Referral it is then... Lotin: Go ahead... ends the call and then turns to the others in the room. Hornbok: Anyone have any ideas? Ivada: Is it really our fault if Phantress goes to one of our prisons and attempts to murder one of our prisoners... Hornbok: No, I guess it's not... Ivada: Well then you have your plan... Simpler than you thought it would be. camera cuts to the prison later that night. Lotin is in his cell, alone. He is lying on his back on the small bed in the cell. Suddenly there is a pounding at the door. Lotin's eyes widen and as he turns to the door, it is ripped off his hinges and Phantress enters the cell. Phantress: Where's the Phantom? Lotin: The Phantom? Oh, I thought his name was Phantom.... Phantress: Don't be arrogant, Lotin. You know why I'm here... Lotin: I do, and I'm afraid I can't help you... Phantress: I'm sure you can... Lotin: Yeah, how'd you get past the guards? Phantress: Don't know... Maybe they just didn't notice me... Lotin: You can't kill me... Phantress: I know, but I can beat you to the brink of death... Lotin: Death is an infinite distance away from me... How close can I really be to the brink? Phantress: Close enough for me... charges at him but he jumps up out of the bed. She spins around and punches the wall as Lotin runs past and out of the cell. She chases after him as she takes out a whip. She whips it at him and tries to grab his leg, but he jumps and then turns the corner. She slides around the corner and then notices that Lotin is not anywhere in the hallway. She turns around and then suddenly gets kicked in the back by Lotin. She spins around and whips at Lotin, making him trip. He rolls out of the way of her punch and then jumps up and avoids her sweep kick. He turns around and continues to run as she chases after him. Lotin: How are you going to beat me to the brink when you can't even chase me down... runs into an open area and heads for another corridor, but he sees to guards, so he turns around. Phantress grabs his arm and then flips him over and slams him to the ground. Lotin: Easy now... Phantress: One last chance, Lotin... Lotin: It's not hard to figure out on your own... Phantress: Fine... Take me there, and afterwards, you'll be free... Lotin: Deal... Phantress: No let's break you out of here... from the eight different hallways connecting to this room, two or three of the members of the old team plus the Magisters are blocking the hallway. The teams are Hornbok and Sci, Ivada and Nick, Relgo, Toon and Water, Rob, Nar, and Aevan, Bink and Lorak, Kruto, Jack, and Ben, Jopius, Brian, and Zon, and Will and Cassie. Hornbok: Neither of you are going anywhere? Phantress: You betrayed me... Sci: Like you thought we wouldn't... Phantress: The two of us can fight all of you... Nick: Really? All 20 of us? Phantress: Sure, why not? That's only 10 a piece... Lotin: Actually, I brought back up... There is the sound of someone running. One person in every group turns around to check behind them. Water turns around and sees Abbaddon charging at him. As he approaches, he blasts dark lightning at Water knocking him back. Water fights it off and then charges at Abbaddon. Thebes also arrives in the room, charging at Will and blasting dark fire at him. Will blocks the blast and then kicks at Thebes, who dodges. Will teleports as the others begin to jump in on the fight. Thebes blasts more dark fire at the group, but Cassie absorbs some of it, sending it back as an energy blast. Thebes avoids, and then manages to avoid a green energy blast from Zon. He gets knocked back by Brian, as a rhinoceros, and then falls to the ground. He draws a sword and then ignites it in dark fire, sending dark fire blasts out of it in multiple directions.] Thebes: For those of whom I haven't met... The name's Thebes... Ben: Son of Lotin... We've heard all about you... the room, Jack blasts electricity at Abbaddon's dark lightning. Ben flies towards Abbaddon and tries to tackle him, but he notices and then jumps out of the way. Bink blasts magic attacks at Abbaddon, but he blocks with magic shields. Aevan launches his shadow at Abbaddon, which seems to knock him back, but he manages to electrocute the shadow, sending it back to Aevan's body. Sci blasts water at Abbaddon's next electric attack. Hornbok walks past the ongoing fights towards the center, as do Nick, Toon, Lorak, and the other Magisters. Phantress: Looks like you're plan is backfiring... Lotin: All thanks to my efforts... Phantress: I suppose... Hornbok: I don't care if it takes all our resources... You are not leaving this prison... Ever! Phantress: Yes, he is... He is going to bring me to the Phantom... Ivada: Remember, she'll destroy the Earth... Lotin: Ah, it really is a conflict of interest now isn't it? You want to save the Earth, but you can't let me out of prison, so you thought you would just let Phantress break me out of prison, and then try to stop her to make it look good... Thebes, Abbaddon, stop the fight... punches Will in the face and then blasts fire in the circle around him, keeping the group at a distance. Abbaddon knocks Sci away from him and keeps lightning in a circle around him. Lotin: What did you hope to accomplish? Hornbok: We figured if Phantress tried to break you out, she would know that there would be resistance, so we made a deal.... There would be resistance, a failed one mind you, but in exchange for that, she would return you to the prison afterwards... Lotin: And now you're just telling me that... Hornbok: You seemed to have figured it out... Phantress: But you've failed to hold up your end of the bargain and let me take him... Hornbok: No, but there's been a change in plans... You wait here, while Ivada, Sci, Nick, Bink, Lorak, and I take Lotin and Thebes to find the Phantom... The rest of our team will stay here and keep tabs on Phantress and Abbaddon. Relgo, you're in charge. nods his head. Hornbok: Okay, now let's head out... Phantress: When did I agree to this? Hornbok: You don't have to... But it's either this, or nothing at all... Phantress: It's less than ideal, but if it's all I'm going to get... is an awkward moment of silence. Phantress: Then I'll agree... turns to Relgo and nods his head. The assigned members to the team leaving follow Hornbok out of the room. Once they are gone, Phantress turns to Relgo. Phantress: If they don't return within 12 hours... Death to the Earth... Commercial of the new recruits except for Reg are sitting in the recruits' office at the Academy. Ray seems to be separated from the others. Ahmad: Is anyone else bored? Harry: I hate it whenever they don't take us on missions... It's stupid. Figy: I think we can all agree on that. Ahmad: Definitely... Holly: And last time we left, not only did we get in trouble, but we didn't even find anything useful... Roy: We tracked the Blast Masters and found that they were searching for the tribe that brought Mortium to the galaxy... Paul: Ha, that's one thing they did tell us... Roy: It's kind of our mission... We have the right to now... Harry: That's not what Hornbok said when you and Will came back from your adventure the other day... Roy: Apparently that's confidential... Chris: It's also stupid. Again... Paul: Hey Ray... Are you okay? Ray: I'm fine... I'm just thinking about something... Ahmad, remember when we fought Thebes? And you asked me if Lotin was one of the Elite, but I didn't know what you meant... Ahmad: Yeah... Ray: Well, do you guys trust me? Figy: I trust you... Holly: Why wouldn't we trust you? holds out the letter he received and gives it to Ahmad. He reads it. Ahmad: They're clearly trying to take advantage of your inexperience... Of course we trust you... Roy: What's the letter say? hands it to Roy. Paul: I also got one of these letters... Harry: What did this one say? Paul: I haven't read it... I've been too worried... takes the letter out of his pocket and opens it up. He sees the letter and then reads it softly to himself. quietly: Hello Paul. This may seem awfully suspicious, but do not fear us. We only are here to give you a warning about the future. Your teammates may all trust you, but soon, they won't any longer. But by then, it will already be too late. From The Elite... Ray: That's almost exactly the same as mine... But it's reversed... Paul: Reversed? hands Ray's letter to Paul. He looks over it. Paul: This worries me... They say that they don't trust you, and that you'll realize why, but for me, they say that my teammates do trust me, but they shouldn't... Ahmad: Like I said, I think they're just taking advantage of your inexperience... I wouldn't think anything of it... Chris: And definitely don't tell Hornbok.. Ray: So we're keeping this a secret? Harry: It'll be a secret to everybody. camera cuts to a Plumbers' ship flying through space. Lorak is piloting and Hornbok, Ivada, Sci, Nick, and Bink are also on the ship. Lotin and Thebes are also on the ship, but they are handcuffed and chained into their seats, with inhibitor collars around their necks. Hornbok: Do you have coordinates to give us or something? Lotin: Head for Psyocs... Sci: Chemestris' home planet? Lotin: If that helps you understand, then yes... Hornbok: Okay, interrogation time... Do you know Dexis? Lotin: I've heard the name... We've never met... Hornbok: Damian Walker... Lotin: Not a clue... Hornbok: What about the Incurseans? Lotin: Who doesn't know about the Incurseans? I've never worked with them if that's what your thinking... Hornbok: Mantox... Lotin: Doesn't ring a bell... Hornbok: Medullus... Lotin: The Eketophian sea god? Hornbok: Anything else...? Lotin: No... Hornbok: Last question... Dr. Psychobos... Lotin: Azmuth's self-proclaimed rival? Never met... Hornbok: I shouldn't trust you, but I can't complain... Lorak: Hornbok, we've arrived... camera shows Psyocs as the ship approaches it. Hornbok: We're not going to be shot down, are we? Lotin: Not if they know I'm on board... large screen appears in front of the ship. A Psyophellian soldier is on the screen. Psyophellian: Please identify yourselves and state your intentions... Hornbok: Magister Hornbok of the Plumbers... We're travelling with Lotin in our custody to obtain something he has for us here... Psyophellian: Did you say Lotin? steps aside, showing Lotin behind him. Psyophellian: You may pass... screen disappears and the ship proceeds forward. The camera cuts to the entire group walking in a large compound on the planet. Lotin: This is Chemestris' old laboratory... Her backup facility to ChemiLabs... Hornbok: The Phantom is here? Lotin: Why else would we be here? rolls his eyes as the group arrives at the end of a hallway. Lotin: Hopefully I'm still allowed in... It should work unless she removed my DNA key... holographic screen appears in front of the door. Computer: DNA key required... scans his hand on the screen. Computer: DNA match confirmed... door slides open. Hornbok: Wait, don't go into that room yet... I want to know how you managed to keep the Phantom locked up for all these years... Lotin: The Ice Key... Sci: It makes sense... He specially designed something to put the Phantom in stasis using the Ice Key... Hornbok: Okay, now who's going inside? Lotin: You send one of yours in... Hornbok: Nick... Nick: Yes sir... Lotin: And Thebes you go, too... nods his head and Nick and Thebes walk through the door. The rest of the group stands outside the room, waiting for them to exit. Bink: How long should it take? Nick slides back out of the room. Nick: He jumped me and ran... Hornbok: LOTIN! turns and sees Lotin run into the room after Thebes. Hornbok chases after him as the rest of the recruits follow Hornbok. The camera cuts ahead to Thebes standing in a chamber. He presses a button and opens a slot containing not the Ice Key, but the Fire Key. Lotin arrives and stands behind Thebes. Lotin: Take the key to Phantress... I'll hold them off... Thebes: Stay safe dad... Lotin: Don't worry... Now stick to the plan... nods his head and then runs off onto the other side of the chamber. Lotin closes the slot where the Fire Key was and then turns around as Hornbok and the other recruits arrive in the chamber. Lotin: Did-- Hornbok: No need to explain yourself, Lotin... I expected your betrayal from the beginning... Lotin: But you couldn't expect me to think that you would trust me... Hornbok: So Thebes escaped with the Phantom? Lotin: I think I'd warn you that it wasn't the Phantom... It was the Fire Key... is an ominous music cue as the camera cuts back to the Northern Plumber Prison. All the heroes who were in the room are knocked out, as are several other guards. The camera quickly cuts to the skies above the Earth. The camera cuts to inside a massive ship known as The Phantom's Nest that has been dormant in the skies above the Earth for over 12 years as a warp portal opens up. Phantress steps out and is followed by Abbaddon, and then Thebes holding the Fire Key. Abbaddon blasts dark lightning, knocking out the few guards guarding the ship. Phantress takes the Fire Key from Thebes and places it into the key slot beneath the command chair. From the outside, the ship uncloaks as Phantress sits down at the command chair. Phantress: It may not be the Phantom, but the Fire Key is good enough for me... the ship starts to cruise forward as it passes the floating Fractal City. Phantress: And now, Earth will finally fall to the Aldabarbarians... Our goal after hundreds of years... Will finally be achieved... ship continues forward. Commercial camera cuts back to the compound on Psyocs. Hornbok charges at Lotin and ends up punching the wall behind him as Lotin avoids. Sci blasts a stream of fire at Lotin, but Lotin avoids this as well. Nick blasts a stream of acid at Lotin, but he avoids for a third time. He then gets knocked back by a magic attack from Bink. Lorak runs towards Lotin and then tries to roundhouse him, but Lotin ducks underneath as he blocks a punch from Hornbok. Sci drenches Lotin, which does nothing major. Suddenly, Thebes freezes in a block of ice as the camera pans and shows that Ivada made the water freeze. Suddenly, the ice cracks, and Lotin finds himself surrounded by the entire group. Lotin: Okay, you got me... But you won't ever stop Phantress... Hornbok: My question to you Hornbok is why? Why did you let Phantress get the Fire Key... Lotin: Maybe I want to start a war between the Aldabarbarians and Betelgusians... And if the Earth gets destroyed in the process... Well, only a few minor losses there... eyes widen in extreme fear. Hornbok: Ivada, contact Relgo and tell him to take his team to Fellson and prepare for an aerial fight, then go to Fellson with Nick... Sci, contact Farrin and tell him to the take the recruits back at the Academy to Fractal and tell them they're going on the biggest mission of their lives, then take Bink with you to Fractal Lotin: Tell your new recruits I said hello... Hornbok: Not a chance... Lorak, with me... We're taking Lotin back where he belongs, now execute... and Ivada begin their assignments as Hornbok and Lorak confront Lotin. Lotin: No need for a fight... Hornbok: You'll be hearing from us about this after we finish it... camera cuts to the Academy. The new recruits are all in the lobby across from Farrin. Farrin: Okay, now listen up... We're heading off to Fractal City for what Hornbok says will be the biggest mission of your lives... Ray: Where are we going? Farrin: Fractal City... A floating city above Earth... From there, we're going to be entering enemy territory... We don't have much time, so MOVE! run towards the transport as the camera cuts to Sci and Bink arriving at Fractal City through a warp portal. Sci puts a small device in his pocket. Sci: Great invention, but I think I have a migraine... Bink: Same here... Where are-- sees Farrin and the new recruits behind them. Sci observes that The Phantom's Nest is cruising along past the city at an alarming rate. Bink turns around and sees this, too. Bink: I remember this ship... Sci: Yeah, I've got bad memories of this ship... Farrin: So we're just supposed to board it and then fight who ever's on board... Sci: We're looking at Thebes, Abbaddon, and Phantress... Chris: Hey, we've fought Thebes and Abbaddon before... Bink: But you haven't fought Phantress... We've barely fought Phantress... Farrin: I think we should just storm the ship and try to take them out without sending the ship crashing to the surface. Sci: Sounds good to me, now let's move! camera cuts to Fellson City. Ivada, Nick, and all the Magisters and recruits who stayed at the prison are in the base, preparing an aerial attack to slow down the ship from the outside. Ivada: Everyone will board a ship... To make things easier we're going in groups of two, so pair up and get going! camera cuts to the ships taking off. The pairs are Brian and Zon, Will and Cassie, Nick and Toon Jack and Ben, Water and Rob, Aevan and Nar, Ivada and Jopius, and Relgo and Kruto. Each ship flies upwards until The Phantom's Nest can be seen charging at the fleet. The ships scatter and begin to fire at the massive ship. The blasts seem to slow the ship down, but they don't cause any significant damage to the ship. Inside, Phantress grimaces at the sight of a resistance. Phantress: An annoyance, but it's clearly a diversion... How about we leave with the ones currently on board? presses a button at the command chair and suddenly, the ship begins to turn around as the fleet outside scatters in confusion. Will and Cassie are seen staring at the ship in shock. Cassie: Are they turning around? Will: With the team still inside? camera cuts onto a hallway of the ship. The new recruits, Sci, Bink, and Farrin seem to stumble at the ship turns around. There is a lot of shaking and stumbling among the group, but after a couple seconds, it is over. The team gets up and begins to try and figure out what happens. Sci: Yeah... I've definitely got that migraine-- looks out the window and sees stars in the distance, as if the ship was in outer space. He looks at his Plumbers' badge to check coordinates. Sci: Oh no... camera cuts outside and shows the ship approaching Aldabarbaria. Farrin: We're on Aldabarbaria? slots open in the walls near the group. A gas is released from the slots, and soon, the entire group falls unconscious and the screen goes black. The camera cuts to the Northern Plumber Prison. Hornbok and Lorak shut the door to Lotin's cell as Hornbok's Plumbers' badge beeps. Hornbok: Yes Ivada? Ivada: The Phantom's Nest is gone... Hornbok: That's good... right? Ivada: No... Half of our team was on it... camera cuts to Plumbers' Galactic-Command. All of the Magisters and team members are sitting around a meeting room. Hornbok: Sci, Bink, Farrin, and all of the new recruits except for Reg were on that ship? Ivada: Yes... We asked King Fractus if he heard from them when they were on Fractal City, but he said he didn't even know they were there... They're obviously on that ship, and probably halfway across the galaxy by now. Hornbok: That's Farrin-- a MAGISTER, and Sci and Bink, two of our best recruits... Paper is already gone, another of our best recruits... Not to mention all the new recruits... We have a solid team, but even you guys have to admit it's not as good without the others... Toon: We're a team by the definition of a team... We're good together, but alone, we're not as strong... Brian: I couldn't have said it better... Hornbok: We'll rescue the team... I'd bet they'd be predicting us if it was today... Give it a couple days to see if they'll try and offer us a ransom for their return... If not, then we'll just have to take them back... camera cuts to Betelgusia. Admiral Truph is sitting in his office, enjoying a time of peace between the Betelgusians and the Aldarbarians due to the latest peace treaty. Suddenly, a holographic screen appears in front of him with the Phantress on it. Truph: Phantress... How'd you break our security... Phantress: Let's get straight to business, Truph... I've managed to capture several Plumbers recruits, two Commanders, and a Magister... Being allies with the Plumbers, I believe it's in the best interest of the Betelgusians to help the Plumbers with this matter... Truph: Ha, that's your game? It's a trap, obviously... Phantress: No, it's a move I'm forcing you to make... the window in front of Truph shatters and several Aldabarbarian troops enter the room, aiming their weapons at him. The screen disappears as a warp portal appears and Phantress steps out. Phantress: You don't have to worry about starting a war, because a war has already begun... End